This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.
Fluid connections between mating parts, wherein one of the parts (e.g., an inner part) includes a cylindrical port and the other of the parts (e.g., an outer part) is received about the port, are typically sealed by an o-ring. One example of such a fluid connection between inner and outer parts is that between a valve cover and an oil-mist separator of an internal combustion engine. The o-ring is typically disposed about a cylindrical port of the inner member (e.g., the valve cover) and forms a seal between the cylindrical port and the outer member (e.g., the oil-mist separator). Typical o-rings only seal along their inner and outer circumferential surfaces. In some applications, gaps form between the o-ring and the mating parts due to vibration (e.g., minor relative movement of the parts) or distortion of the parts (e.g., differential thermal expansion or contraction, or assembly force deformation). In some applications these gaps permit fluid to leak past the o-ring, and over time, movement of the parts relative to the o-ring leads to degradation of the o-ring and additional noise or vibration of the parts.